Blake Lively has lashed out at Justin Baldoni’s legal team, accusing them of attempting to turn her upcoming deposition into a media circus, amid her ongoing sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit against the actor-director.
Protective Order Demanded
In a new court filing, Lively, 37, requested that her deposition — scheduled for 17 July — be held at a confidential location with all attendees pre-identified and approved.
Her legal team is asking the court to issue a protective order to prevent Baldoni’s lawyers from controlling the venue or turning the session into a public event.
Public Spectacle Accusation
The move comes after Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, previously made headlines in May when he suggested the deposition be televised or even held at Madison Square Garden, joking that tickets could be sold to raise funds for domestic abuse charities.
Lively’s team was not amused.
“This is a serious matter of sexual harassment and retaliation and it deserves to be treated as such,” her spokesperson told People.
“Justin Baldoni’s lawyer has tried to make this matter a public spectacle at every turn, even proposing to sell tickets.”
Key Legal Details
• Baldoni’s counterclaims for defamation and extortion against Blake and her husband Ryan Reynolds were dismissed last month.
• Lively’s team says his side has since used media tactics to intimidate her.
• The new filing alleges Baldoni’s team is “manufacturing a harassing publicity stunt” by refusing a private deposition.
Her lawyers wrote:
“Defendants have used even the prospect of Ms. Lively’s deposition to generate press interest… and appear to seek another public relations moment.”
Trial Date Set
The court has scheduled a full jury trial for March 2026.
Until then, Lively’s legal team insists on discretion, citing security concerns, public harassment, and a need to maintain the integrity of the legal process.
This escalating legal feud — once centered around a film adaptation of It Ends With Us — is now spotlighting Hollywood’s ongoing reckoning with harassment, and the blurred line
between justice and publicity.
